


Bring Me Those Flowers I Like

by dramaticbanjo



Category: Inazuma Eleven GO
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 06:04:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4008664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dramaticbanjo/pseuds/dramaticbanjo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time travel is a tricky thing, friendship is a tricky thing, and keeping promises is a tricky thing.</p><p>Or, the next time Nishiki meets Zanark again is the last time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bring Me Those Flowers I Like

He could remember when Tenma had contacted them eagerly, saying Fey had finally reached him. They had all listened attentively as Tenma described what had passed for their friends in the future; how the Second Stage Children were all living, and the vaccine was working, as it should. They all laughed when they were told about how they even got Zanark to take it, albeit through some creative uses of sedatives, the former Lagoon defenders holding him down and the doctors giving him the shot, and he laughed with them.

Nishiki missed Zanark, in a weird, you-don’t-know-what-you’ve-got-until-it’s-gone, sort of way. They had all been in high school when Fey had finally called Tenma; gone slightly separate ways but still close, and it had brought back memories of playing in the Ragnarok tournament. He had sat back on his head and laugh along with Tenma on the phone, then.

 

The next time they were contacted, older students, like him, were getting ready to graduate college. Fey had excitedly told them he was Captain in the Pro-League, and Wonderbot was finally a coach at a school famous for soccer. Everyone had accepted the Second Stage Children, and Meia and Giris had the most lavish and fantastical wedding anyone had ever seen. At the end of his message, Fey told them that Zanark had disappeared on his motorcycle; who knew where, or when, he was. At his graduation, Nishiki could have sworn he recognized an arrogant smirk and a wild mane of hair in the crowd, but it was too bright and there were too many people to look again.

 

The third time Fey managed to call, it was a reunion; right after Nishiki’s team had won the championship. The former Raimon player told them about how there was going to be a terraforming project on Mars—which meant they could play soccer in space! And how Alpha had managed to effectively beat both Beta and Gamma in the tournament, only to lose to SARU’s team in the finals. Kinako even got a word in and said hello, making everyone cheer. This time, they didn’t mention Zanark, and Nishiki felt a little let down.

 

There weren’t any more calls for a while, and everyone became suddenly busy with their own lives. Nishiki didn’t become captain, but he did eventually share the field with Tenma, Shinsuke and Tsurugi, who had all gone into the Professional League practically right out of college. He had even seen Tsurugi’s older brother and Taiyou in the stands, cheering them on.

Years past, and Nishiki almost forgot about the exciting years he had spent at Raimon. Occasionally he tried dating, but it usually fell short and he didn’t try again until a long while later.

Everyone still kept in touch—you would be a fool not to, not after everything they had been through.

Even more years past, and all it took was a loud laugh at two of Tenma’s Shinsei Inazuma teammates’ wedding, and he remembered everything about traveling through time in perfect clarity.

He raised his glass with everyone as the petite bride blushed deeply, but his mind was somewhere else.

Midori must have noticed, because she found him outside during the reception.

            “Alright, what’s wrong?”

            “Huh?”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, and it was like they were back at Raimon, “Don’t ‘huh’ me, Nishiki. What’s going on? You’ve had that look on your face all evening.” With a sigh, she took the last few steps to stand next to him, and then punched him in the arm.

            “There.”

            “Ow! What was that for?”

            “For being an idiot.” She smirked at him, “Want to talk about it?”

 

            It took another few years for him to finally get married. After that, two kids, and then a third. He had to stop playing professionally from a knee injury, but took up coaching. Tenma and the others called frequently, and they sometimes went out for a drink, and ended up laughing at things from the past.

He kept coaching even when his own kids graduated; his eldest daughter even led her team as captain to winning nationals.

All in all, now that he thought about it, his life had been a very good one. Now and then, he thought about Zanark: what he could be doing, if the former criminal left illegible graffiti on ancient monuments when he time traveled, and if he still remembered them.

 

            Of course, he would be the one first in the hospital, having to be wheeled around on a chair when he needed to go places. He probably complained about being stuck in bed the most—he usually argued he wasn’t even that old.

His children visited whenever they could, and his wife came everyday. Tenma and everyone visited when they could as well, telling stories about what was happening to them. Once Someoka had visited.

 

            It was early when he felt it getting harder to breath. The first rays of dawn were coming through the white curtains, and he opened his eyes, only to see a pair of crimson ones above him. It stung a little to smile.

            “…Long time no see, Zanark.”

The time traveler’s smirk was just like how Nishiki remembered it.

            “Same to you, Nishiki.” A pause, “I couldn’t come earlier. My own time line was beginning.” Nishiki frowned a little, but let it pass, seeing as it was probably something neither of them could help, “Ah, well, you’re here now, right?”

            “Yeah.” Zanark pulled up a chair, and Nishiki could see that he had grown taller, though his hair was still pulled back the same way, although a few of the braids had what looked like fangs and feathers woven in, and he had gotten a thin scar across his cheek somehow.

He could see that Zanark was also studying everything in the room: the photos of Tenma and everyone, photos of family and pictures drawn by children.

            “Ha! So you won the World Cup?” Zanark had picked up a framed photo. The World Cup had almost been like a Raimon Reunion, considering they made up most of the team. He set the picture down and picked up the one of his daughter struggling to lift a trophy twice her size. Nishiki couldn’t see his expression.

            “Where have you been, Zanark? Fey said you left them a long time ago.”

            “Not so long for me.” His smirk was almost palpable, “I’ve been traveling outside of the Earth, seeing if I’m just as strong on other planets as I am here.”

Nishiki laughed weakly, “Where did you go?”

            The light got stronger as Zanark talked, of planets that humanity wouldn’t discover for hundreds of years, of stars and of battles he fought. Every so often, Nishiki would cough.

Finally, when it was almost time for the nurses to come by, Zanark sat up and stretch, “Impressed?”

            “Extremely.” They both laughed, one weaker than the other, and then Zanark looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, almost bashfully.

            “…I did miss you.”

Nishiki blinked into surprise, before grinning so wide it almost hurt, “I missed you too.”

The light was starting to get brighter, and it was starting to hurt Nishiki’s eyes. With one last smirk, Zanark leaned forward and pressed his lips surprisingly gently to Nishiki’s forehead.

            “I’m still looking for my rematch.”

Surprisingly, Zanark didn’t leave immediately, and Nishiki smiled, “So am I.”

 

When the curtains fluttered, like one last breath had passed them, Zanark slumped in his seat, his eyes closed until he heard the sounds of the nurse’s footsteps, drawn by the heart monitor. When she opened the door in alarm, there was no one there


End file.
